Parashat VaYakhel: A “Renaissance Man” for the Mishkan by Yaakov Bieler

The qualities of a “Renaissance Man” Over the years, individuals who have been called “Renaissance Men” have served as personal cultural heroes for me. I have been fascinated by their creativity, their excellence in so many disciplines, and as a direct result of their multiple interests and skills, their ability to “break out of the [...]

Potential Religious Opportunities and Challenges for Old Age by Gidon Rothstein

Preliminary Thoughts From Less of a Distance Than Once Upon a Time Old age, what is it good for? When the Temptations and then Edwin Starr asked that question about war in the early 1970s, they opened us up to remembering that there are aspects of life we take for granted that might bear further [...]

Parshat Ki Tissa: Broken Tablets – Embarrassment or Inspiration? by Yaakov Bieler

What was done with the remains of the first tablets that contained the Ten Commandments? The extremely dramatic events surrounding the smashing of the tablets of stone upon which the Ten Commandments had been inscribed are described in Parashat Ki Tisa, Shemot 32:19, and again as part of Moshe’s valedictory review of what had transpired [...]

Problems with Defining Death as the Irreversible Cessation of Circulation: What Would We Measure and Why? by Noam Stadlan, MD

 The Va’ad Halacha (VH) of the RCA recently circulated a document with the title “Halachic Issues in the Determination of Death and in Organ Transplantation.”   As has been demonstrated elsewhere, the paper is an attempt to educate rabbis and the public regarding the problems with defining death using neurological criteria (commonly referred to as ‘brain [...]

Parshat Tetzave: Humility as a Key to Holiness by Yaakov Bieler

The stated purpose of the Tabernacle. Among the many details concerning the construction of the Tabernacle, its vessels and furnishings and the clothing of the priests worn while carrying out the Divine service, we find singular verses that define the overall purpose of the Tabernacle. In Parashat Teruma (Shemot 25:8) the Tora states, “And make [...]

Parshat Teruma: Shouldering the Burden of the Tabernacle by Yaakov Bieler

A  moving Tabernacle leading up to a permanent Temple. Until the Temple is built in Yerushalayim, the Tabernacle, which served as the temporary spiritual center of the Jewish people, moves from place to place. The Talmud interprets a Biblical verse as reflecting this progression from impermanence to permanence. Megilla 10a (Devarim 12:9) “For you have [...]